744. The Devil’s Scheme to Ruin the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

💌744. The Devil’s Scheme to Ruin the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

When the downstairs neighbor came storming up, seething with anger, I said to her, “Ma’am, it seems the devil of division is trying to drive a wedge between us. We will be more careful going forward, please try to calm down and rest. We are just about to go to church, so please understand.”

But she exploded, shouting, “What? The devil? You b**ch—what devil? Are you saying I am the devil?

 What nonsense! Are you calling me insane? How could the devil possibly do something like this? Enough with your crazy talk. Get out of this apartment! I am telling you—move out right now!”

I offered it up through practicing Semchigo as if I were loved. But then, I suddenly remembered what people in the secular world often say in moments like this. “If a monk does not like the temple, it is not the temple that leaves—it is the monk who must go, right?” 

But I thought to myself, “No, this must be a cunning scheme by the sly devils trying to ruin the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, just as I was preparing to celebrate it joyfully. The devil of division who fill the sky and the earth must have caused that sister to mishear things. So no matter how much I try to explain or persuade her, it will not do any good.” 

With that, I quickly changed my way of thinking. I kept praying the prayer of exorcism and although she was younger than me and had angrily spoken harsh words without restraint, I bowed deeply and sincerely asked for her forgiveness. Since I was living in that house while doing God’s work, I thought the devil—who clearly knew about the graces I would receive on the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—must have used that person to stir up my anger.

I quickly said, “I am truly sorry to hear you could not sleep. Still, it was our fault. I deeply apologize that we disturbed your rest. We will be extra careful from now on, I promise. So please forgive us and since you must be tired, I truly hope you can feel at ease now and go back down to get some rest.” Even as she walked away, she shouted angrily, “You better! For me, morning is the same as night!”

After she left, I spoke to the frightened children about the devil of division. “Sweethearts, if God did not love us, do you think something like this would have happened? 

We were not stomping or making noise, were we? The devil of division tries to turn us against one another, make us angry and cut us off from God’s love. The devils, like today, constantly torment us by driving a wedge between us in many ways we cannot even imagine. 

You all stayed quiet and only prayed. But what happened is the work of the devil causing that lady to misunderstand. She probably does not even realize what she did. So since it happened because of our presence, is it not our fault? That is why we must always be alert and pray without ceasing. All these things happen because God loves us so very much,” I explained.

The children responded, “Yes, mom! We will offer it up well too.”

My husband and I were so deeply pleased and joyful watching the children happily accept everything. Since we prepared earlier than usual for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we left home earlier than on other days. We arrived at church with 15 minutes to spare, which gave us time for confession, Eucharistic adoration and quiet meditation. Our family accepted everything was our fault and went to church.

That day, we shared an even deeper family love. Since then, the lady from the downstairs apartment never came up again.

“O Lord! My Mother! Your hearts must have been pained even for a moment. As we remained even a little awake and recognized that the ones we must fight and overcome are not humans but the devil, Satan, and having cast him out, may You be comforted and receive praise and glory.”

“My beloved Little Soul! Today, because you rejoiced so greatly in the Solemnity of My Mother, the devils tried to torment you through unexpected means. But you fought well. Never forget that the ultimate goal of the devils is to bring you down so that you cannot spread the messages. Even if they continue to harass you relentlessly by mobilizing every possible means, I hope you will offer yourself more graciously at every moment and provide more nourishment to many souls, guiding them onto the path of sanctification.”

My personal reflection note with Mama Julia🌹💗 

Link 👇🏻

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